Victorian councils want no truck with B-triple monsters

By Clay Lucas

20 October 2008 — 12:00am

COUNCILS across Victoria do not want giant B-triple trucks rumbling through streets or small country towns.

At a meeting of the state's 79 councils on Friday, held by the Municipal Association of Victoria, municipalities voted to oppose the introduction of B-triple trucks on all urban roads and streets in the state. B-triples are prime movers that tow three trailers, can weigh up to 82 tonnes and are up to 36 metres long.

Documents leaked to Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder in August showed the Government had been secretly investigating the use of B-triples since January.

Under the Government's leaked plan, B-triple trucks eight times the length of a family car would be allowed to run on CityLink and many other main commuter routes.

A Department of Transport map showed the routes B-triples would take through Melbourne, and around Victoria, including EastLink, CityLink and the West Gate Freeway.

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At present, B-triples are allowed on only one Victorian route: from Ford's Geelong plant to its Broadmeadows factory. Mr Mulder said the B-triple issue had worried councils because there had been "a total lack of consultation" by the State Government.

"That's created a sense of fear in communities that think they are going to have them forced on them," he said.

The president of the Municipal Association of Victoria, Dick Gross, agreed there was a "widespread fear and repugnance" of B-triples among the community, and councils did not want them in certain areas.

Cr Gross said there was "an acceptance" of a role for high-capacity vehicles, as B-triples are also known, but not in suburban streets or small country towns.

When the secret Department of Transport documents became public in August, Premier John Brumby said no decisions had been made.

"The Government is examining this issue, but before we made any decision in relation to B-triples, we would consult very widely," he said.

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Running B-triple trucks would mean there would be fewer trucks on the road.

"And fewer trucks in local roads, that would be a good thing," he said.